Friday
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| | No agreement on Police | Gasi arrested | US’ Gregorian statement |
| ITA building opened in BL | CC ruling on immunity | Bozanic’s appointment | Police reform in BIH |
| Tihic on Covic | Bozanic’s appointment | CC ruling on immunity | HR on constitution change |
| Paravac met ambassadors | Opening of ITA building | HT Mostar – Eronet | ITA building opened in BL |
Saturday
| NTV HAYAT (18,55 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Veterans’ problems | RS MoI search for Jankovic | BiH CC on immunity law | RS MoI search for Jankovic |
| Interview with Jago Lasic | Bozanic withdraws | Bozanic withdraws | Velimirovic on ICTY |
| Privatisation revision | Covic on Leutar’s murder | Ali Gasi in detention | Police reform in BIH |
| RS MoI action in Foca | Cornea transplantation | RS MoI search for Jankovic | Bozanic withdraws |
Saturday
| Oslobodjenje | Price of electricity for households increases for 9.9 percent |
| Dnevni Avaz | Zigic persistent, SDA against removal of Brankovic |
| Dnevni List | Constitutional Court: Trials to Covic and Bicakcic could start |
| Vecernji List | Citluk: Student hit by bullet from sky |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Boss saves trucks, leaves Damir in |
| Glas Srpske | Registering as of Monday |
| Nezavisne Novine | A pillar of BiH economy was set; |
| Blic | The police are hunting Gladovic; Srpska defends the entity police; They are collecting taxes |
| Vecernje Novosti | Features Serbian related titles |
| Belgrade’s Nacional | Carla would even send Jesus to |
Sunday
| Oslobodjenje | Sarajevo-Zeljeznicar soccer match |
| Dnevni Avaz | Minister Barisa Colak: New concept of police by the end of the year |
| Dnevni List | Stipe Prlic: We will pick up from Eronet |
| Vecernji List | |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features |
| Vecernje Novosti | Features Serbian related titles |
| Blic | Features Serbian related titles |
Economic/social issues | |
| ITA building opened in
| BHT, Herceg Bosna Radio, FTV, RTRS on Friday – Establishment of a stable fiscal policy in BiH should get BiH closer t0o Euro-Atlantic Integration and the BiH Indirect Taxation Administration, whose building was opened in Banja Luka on Friday should have the essential role in this process. The opening ceremony was attended by top representatives of BiH, both Entities and International Community. Opening of the building, which RS Government has invested KM14.5 million in, was nine months late. “Until now we have lost hundreds of millions maybe even billions of KM, due to the taxation system we have had so far”- said Adnan Terzic, Chairman of BiH CoM. High Representative Paddy Ashdown is convinced that ITA will become the pillar of the BiH economy and that it will create conditions for more investments. “I believe that people, who will work in this building, will ensure conditions for creation of new jobs in BiH, more then any other Institution. Collected revenues will provide more money for wages and pensions”, said HR. Some clear messages, like the one sent to BiH Parliamentarians, could be heard at the ceremony as well. “The imperative is that VAT be as simple as possible, so that the most efficient mechanism for collecting the public revenues could be introduced. I am convinced that progress will follow after introducing VAT with a single rate”, said Michael Humphreys, Head of EC Delegation in BiH. Dilemma remains does the establishment of four ITA regional centres mean the abolishment of Entities’ custom administrations. “With the establishment of these regional centres, the responsibilities and duties of current custom administrations in BiH are automatically transferred to these centres”, said Kemal Causevic, Director of ITA. “Law on Indirect System of Taxation has been in force as of Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, cover and pg. 3 ‘A pillar of BiH economy was set’ by P. Klincov – CoM Chairman Adnan Terzic and RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic on Friday cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony of ITA building in The opening ceremony was also covered by EuroBlic, Saturday, cover ‘They are collecting taxes’ and pg. RS2 ‘Storming on VAT’ by Nedeljka Breberina, Glas srpske, Saturday, pg. 2 ‘Tax-collectors have settled’ by Lj. Cicic, Vecernji List, Sat, pg 3 ‘Taxation administration opened’, by B. S., Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Bringing order into customs services’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Ashdown: This is one of the pillars of BiH economy’. |
| Crisis in FBiH Government over initiative for revision of the privatisation
| TV Hayat on Saturday – As guests in Face to Face, FBiH Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry, Izet Zigic and FBiH Minister of Transport and Communications, Nedzad Brankovic talked about the latest session of FBiH Government, when Zigic proposed new approach to the privatisation process, which was rejected by Brankovic and other Ministers from SDA and HDZ. Brankovic said that this information is inaccurate and that Government’s sessions should be opened for the public in order to avoid any misunderstandings. Zigic said Ministers from Party for BiH had left the session when the proposal was rejected. “I want to mention that this approach, which I have proposed, is the approach which I have been trying to introduce and impose as a new approach for year and a half now. The approach itself has several points, but of course one point has got most of the attention, or irritated Ministers, and that is the question who can participate in privatization process on FBiH territory. We wanted to clearly define that state-owned companies, regardless of which country they come from, cannot participate in the privatisation process in FBiH,” said Zigic. When asked does he have anything against this proposal, Brankovic said: “I will repeat what I have said at the Government’s session. I said that I personally fully support the proposal of Minister Zigic, since it contains some very good solutions to accelerate the process of privatisation. However, Minister Zigic has not elaborated enough this most important part. I have asked only three questions. I have asked him can we check is this concept in harmony with international standards and European practice and will we tomorrow be in a situation that someone tells us – you have passed a wrong Law, which prevents a, influx of capital and you have to change that”. Zigic didn’t agree with the claim that he has not elaborated this issue enough, saying this is a story about privatization, explaining that they are not against foreign private capital, from any State, but they do not want state’s capital to come and take over BiH companies. Regarding the second part of Zigic’s proposal, which is about revision of privatization, Zigic said that many frauds were committed during the privatization, and they have proposed a revision of both privatisation processes, one conducted before the war and the other conducted after the war. Brankovic agreed that both privatisation processes had bad image and he believed that revisions should be conducted by independent persons/institutions. Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘Crisis is serious, Party for BiH to review its relations with partners in the Government’ – Zigic said on Friday that the latest crisis in the FBiH Government was serious and that the Party for BiH would therefore review its relations with partners. Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz cover page ‘Zigic persistent, SDA against removal of Brankovic’, pg 5 ‘We will not give up on revision of privatisation’ (statement by Zigic), ‘Kebo: Problems are not of that nature to require removals’ (reaction by senior SDA official Mirsad Kebo) also covered the issue. Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, cover and pg. 5 ‘Law divided Ministers’ by R. Cengic and V. Coric – the article carries an update to the dispute at the Federation of BiH Government, which occurred after Ministers from the Party for BiH had left the Government session. As a comment on this walk-out, the Federation of BiH Minister of Finances, Dragan Vrankic, has stated that Ministers who are working on the detriment of the state present themselves as the state’s protectors in public. The President of the Party for BiH, Safet Halilovic, has stated that the party fully supports its Ministers in insisting on having a law that would prevent foreign state companies to purchase domestic companies through privatisation processes. Minister of Traffic and Communications Nedzad Brankovic, one of the Ministers that have walked out from the Government session, has stated he would support the Law should it be proven European countries were applying similar principles. FTV on Friday also addressed the issue. |
| FBiH Deputy PM Vrankic says there are efforts to hinder economic cooperation with
| Vecernji List, Sat, pg 4 ‘Prevention of investments from Croatia to BiH’, mentioned on front ‘Regulations against new investments from Croatia’, by Zoran Kresic – The FBiH Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Dragan Vrankic, accuses his Bosniak colleagues in the FBiH Government of systematically destroying companies in the Croat-majority parts of the FBIH and trying to prevent investments from Croatia. “Every economic project becomes a problem. There is an absolute resistance to any capital entering or establishing of any kind of relations with the Republic of Croatia”, says Deputy PM Vrankic. Vrankic’s statement comes a day after the SBiH ministers in the FBiH Government accused HDZ ministers of lobbying for companies from |
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| BHT, FTV on Friday, Dnevni List, Sat, pg 3 ‘Eronet returns to HT Mostar’, mentioned on front, by Jurislav Petrovic, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 7, mentioned on cover ‘Eronet again returned to HT Mostar’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ’51 percent of Eronet shares returned to HT Mostar’ – According to Plamenko Custovic, a legal representative of HT Mostar, the Cantonal Court in Mostar (CCM) has reached a verdict, which annuls all contracts made in 1999 that transferred the then HPT Mostar’s share (51%) in Eronet onto three private companies (Hercegovina osiguranje, Alpine Komerc and Croherc). According to Custovic, the Vecernji List, Sun, pg 3 ‘Gavranovic: We are going to Supreme Court’, by Zoran Kresic – General Manager of Hercegovina osiguranje, Robert Gavranovic, is disappointed with the CCM’s decision, noting it is about “political verdict”. He further explains that lawyers are analysing the verdict, announcing that Hercegovina osiguranje, Alpine Komerc and Croherc will seek justice with the FBiH Supreme Court. Dnevni List, front pg splash and pg 8 ‘We will pick up from Eronet’, by Jurislav Petrovic – Carries an interview with the CEO of HT Mostar, Stipe Prlic, who says the CCM’s decision means that HT Mostar again becomes the majority owner in Eronet, which means that HT Mostar will continue to provide GSM services to its clients. |
| Construction of
| Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, cover ‘Construction of Banja Luka – Gradiska highway: works might be stopped’ and pg. 3 ‘Stoppage of the works is possible’ by D. Risojevic – The Director of “Integral Inzenjering” firm from Laktasi, Slobodan Stankovic, has announced his firm would stop the works on the construction of Banja Luka – Gradiska highway if the BiH CoM fails to pay the money for the construction by November 15. The article claims CoM had received approximately 10,5 million KM from mobile phones operators so far, and quotes Ljerka Maric, BiH Treasury Minister, as explaining the money should have been invested in the construction of roads, as in accordance with CoM decision. According to Maric, IMF has made the situation complicated because it disagreed with the decision. NN inset ‘They did not pay money for Vc corridor either’ – “Integral inzinjering” Director Slobodan Stankovic has stated the firms working on development of corridor Vc project documentation will have to stop their work because advance money for this project has not been paid. Ljerka Maric, BiH Treasury Minister, has announced this money would be paid on Friday. |
Police reform | |
| Police Reform Commission completed
| RTRS, BHT on Friday, Dnevni List, pg 3 ‘Without single concept of organization of Police in BiH’, mentioned on front ‘No agreement on organization of Police in BiH’, by Dario Pusic – The commission for the reform of the police forces in BiH has completed the Brussels talks without reaching a final agreement. However, after Thursday’s statement of Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, who demanded the establishment of a single police, there is no doubt that, after the establishment of a joint ministry of defence, BiH is getting closer and closer to a single police force as well. The BiH delegation’s stay in Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Entity’s and Cantonal MoIs to be abolished’ – An unnamed source told the daily that at the end BiH will sooner or later have to have central police bodies and state Ministry of Interior, which is also the EU position presented to the Police Reform Commission by Chris Patten and Javier Solana in Brussels. |
| Barisa Colak on police restructuring
| Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, cover ‘Barisa Colak: BiH will no longer have 13 polices’ and pg. 4 ‘It is certain BiH will no longer have 13 polices’ by M. Cubro – The article reads several collocutors from the Commission for reform of BiH police on Friday confirmed that BiH will have a single police structure organised in accordance with a territorial principle in five regions by the end of this year. BiH Minister for Security Barisa Colak has stated that a final organisation of the police still has not been agreed upon. ‘We will have a single police structure. Currently I am in no position to say whether this means having only one Ministry but it is certain we will no longer have 13 Ministries of the police as we did until now’, Colak said. Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz cover page ‘New concept of police by the end of the year’ carried an interview with Colak on the issue. |
| Cavic, Terzic on new BiH police structure
| FTV, RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘It can be done without changes to the Constitution?!’, ONASA – Republika Srpska President Dragan Cavic said Friday that the reform of the BiH police could not succeed without the RS Interior Ministry. “I will issue an official statement from my cabinet when the RS delegation returns from |
| Michael Humphreys, SNSD’s Dodik on police reform
| FTV, RTRS on Friday, Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 4 ‘The police should be at a state level’ by V. Popovic, Glas Srpske, Saturday, pg. 2 ‘Police past politics’ by G. D. – The Head of EC Delegation to BiH, Michael Humphreys, stated in Banja Luka on Friday that BiH needs police forces at the state level that would work for the benefit of citizens and would not work upon political directives. NN reads Humphreys met with SNSD leader Milorad Dodik, who has stated that the aim of police reform in BiH cannot be abolishing of RS MoI or abolishing of RS. ‘SNSD will not support a transfer of authority from RS to BiH level. The aim of changing BiH Constitution cannot be abolishing of RS’, Dodik said. NN inset ‘Ashdown criticised Dodik’ claims a meeting with Milorad Dodik was held in OHR Banja Luka on Friday at Dnevni List, Sat, pg 9 ‘Against reforms that abolish RS MoI’, not signed – The President of SNSD, Milorad Dodik, believes that the Police reform must abide by the current constitutional structure, according to which the internal affairs are in the jurisdiction of the entities. “The aim of the reform cannot be the abolishment of the RS MoI. If that’s the goal, then we are against it”, said Dodik. |
| HR on single police in BiH
| Dnevni List, Sat, pg 6 ‘Change of Constitution possible with agreement of all three peoples only’, mentioned on front, by De. L., Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat, back pg ‘Only with agreement of all three peoples’, by Aleksandar Macanovic – In Banja Luka on Friday the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown,did not want to answer whether single Police force of BiH would be formed, stressing that that question should be put to the Police Reform Commission, which will propose a solution. “Our recommendation was, as you know, that single MoI of BiH has to be established, but we are not taking that decision. The Commission takes the decision, and the decision is to be confirmed by the BiH Parliament, so this issue will depend on them”, said HR Ashdown. RTRS carried the statement on Friday. |
| NN op-ed on police reform
| Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 7 ‘Three stories on one police’ by Mirza Cubro – Cubro comments on developments regarding the police reform and he says it is positive that a single police structure should be harmonised with European standards since this would allow avoiding absurd situations (for instance – chases after car thieves stopping at entity borders or different fees for same traffic violations in entities). The author, however, fears problems would occur after the Commission forwards laws to the parliamentary procedure and he says that Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats will not be able to agree on the law due to differences in their opinions and aspirations. Cubro expects such a dispute will be resolved by an intervention of ‘a big brother from the international community who will remind them they are all blackmailed’ which will result in accepting the draft of the Commission. |
| RS politicians’ reactions on police reform
| Glas Srpske, Saturday, pg. 2 ‘Barometer’ by G. D. – the article carries reactions on possibility of establishing of a single police structure in BIH: Dobroslav Cuk, Trebinje Mayor, opposes the idea of establishing of a single police structure or single MoI on BiH level because he thinks abolishing of RS MoI would represent a violation of RS Constitution and BiH Constitution. Velimir Sakan, the President of the RS NA Board for control of the work of the police and army, says the Commission for police reform should draft solutions that would be acceptable for everyone and he thinks the future organisation of police should ensure a continuity of RS constitutional jurisdiction. Dragomir Jovicic, former Minister of Interior, also thinks RS MoI should not be abolished. Petar Kunic, delegate at the BiH Parliament HoR, says the Commission did not have a mandate provided by RS NA or any other body to accept a non-constitutional solution. In his opinion, it seems as if the Commission still has adopted a non-constitutional solution and the Republic Parliament should bring a decision on this. He thinks any imposed decision of HR would represent violence over RS. |
| Matijasevic proposes police structure including RS MoI
| FTV, RTRS on Saturday, Vecernje Novosti Sunday, pg. 12 ‘We do not want to have a joint police’ by N. G., Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Platform that includes RS MoI’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Commitment to continuation of work in the Commission’ – Republika Srpska Minister of Interior Darko Matijasevic has requested in Brussels that the entity ministries of interior continue to be part of the future and reformed police structures in BiH. Model that Matijasevic proposes is in relation to distribution of powers and responsibilities in conducting police business between state, entities and lower levels of authorities. In written statement issued on Saturday Matijasevic said that RS MoI position was based and defined on the platform of RS political institutions and it means RS’ constitutional and legal jurisdiction over MoI work. |
| Ivanic: BiH police without RS MoI unacceptable | TV Hayat, RTRS on Saturday – President of PDP Mladen Ivanic said that establishment of new Police structure in BiH without RS MoI is unacceptable. |
Political developments | |
| Paravac met with Ambassadors of EU countries
| Herceg Bosna Radio on Friday, Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 8 ‘Priorities of BiH are NATO and EU’ by Onasa, Glas Srpske, pg. 2 ‘Congratulations and support’ by Srna, Dnevni List, Sat, pg 4 ‘Presidency finally decides to cooperate with OHR’, by NINA, Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat, pg 14 ‘Paravac with EU Ambassadors: Next 8 months are crucial’, by D. Pasic, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Presidency’s priorities include accession to EU, PfP’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Bosscher: Next eight months of crucial importance for BiH’ – The BiH Presidency Chairman, Borislav Paravac,received yesterday (Friday) the ambassadors of the EU member states accredited in BiH, which have congratulated him on taking over the duty of BiH Presidency Chair. The ambassadors were informed about the priorities of BiH Presidency over the next eight months, with accent on the need for strengthening cooperation between BiH Presidency, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Ministers, and establishing close relations with the High Representative and other representatives of international institutions in BiH. “Admission into the European Union and the Partnership for Peace are the main priorities of the BiH foreign policy, whose guidelines are the stabilizing factor in BiH”, stressed Paravac. Ambassador of |
| HR Ashdown on changes to BiH Constitution
| RTRS on Friday, Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 4 ‘Changes to BiH Constitution cannot be imposed’ by P. K., Dnevni List, Sat, pg 6 ‘Change of Constitution possible with agreement of all three peoples only’, mentioned on front, by De. L., Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat, back pg ‘Only with agreement of all three peoples’, by Aleksandar Macanovic, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje ‘Only with the consent of the peoples’ – High Representative Paddy Ashdown stated on Friday that BiH Constitution can be changed only with consent of all three peoples and he emphasised no change to BiH Constitution can be imposed. He refused to comment the issue of possible removal of BiH Presidency member Dragan Cavic and said this was a matter for the Court. Upon the announcement of SDS, which has stated the party would sue HR to the |
| NN interview with RS President Cavic on initiatives to change Constitution, cooperation with ICTY, ongoing reforms
| Nezavisne Novine – Revija, Saturday, Revija cover and pgs. 4-5 ‘We are making tremendous efforts to prove our cooperation with the Hague’ by Dragan Jerinic – RS President Dragan Cavic emphasised that the institutions dealing with cooperation with the Hague Tribunal are making tremendous efforts to prove they are fully functional and to regain trust. Regarding the initiatives on changes to BiH Constitutions, he believes there is no person in political life of RS that would be willing to participate in implementation of constitutional changes that would not be including RS. Asked to comment establishing of the Joint Command of BiH Armed Forces and ITA from the aspect of implementing changes to BiH Constitution, Cavic said they had practically made certain solutions, for which it is questionable whether these had detailed grounds in the Constitution. However, he says this was done in order to show they are able to reach compromise solutions that respect entity structures, but also respect the state functionality of BiH. He also commented on police reform and the fact RS police is often resented for being inefficient in arresting of war crimes indictees, reshuffle in RS Government in relation to poor election results of ruling parties, possibility of having early elections and holding of a session of SDS Main Board that should take place by first half of December. |
| RS President Cavic meets with Humphreys, discusses BiH’s European prospects
| Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘BiH closer to European integration’, FENA – RS President Dragan Cavic and the Head of the European Commission Delegation to BiH, Ambassador Michael Humphreys, on Friday said that a great deal of work has been done in the past two years on the BiH road to European integration. Cavic and Humphreys also exchanged opinions about the issues that need to be resolved with the aim of opening the negotiations with the EU early next year on the next phase of BiH accession to the European Union. |
| EC’s Humphreys meets RS PM Mikerevic, talks on cooperation with ICTY, public broadcasting
| Vecernji List, Sat, pg 4 ‘Improve cooperation with The Hague’, by f, Dnevni List, Sat, pg 4 ‘Improve cooperation with The Hague Tribunal’, by NINA – Head of the European Commission Delegation to BiH, Michael Humphreys,said during his meeting with the Republika Srpska Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic,that significant progress towards the European integration of BiH has been made, although cooperation with the ICTY must be improved and the state law on public broadcasting adopted. Once again, Mikerevic said that the RS Government is “determined and willing to improve the cooperation with the ICTY” adding that “all necessary measures are being undertaken.” |
| Bozanic gives up ambassadorial post at CoE
| TV Hayat, BHT, FTV, RTRS on Saturday, Dnevni List, Sun, pg 3 ‘Bozanic gives up ambassadorial position in Strasbourg’, not signed, Vecernji List, Sun, pg 2 ‘New ambassador instead of Bozanic’, by f, Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘New candidate for ambassador in Strasbourg to be nominated soon’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 – The Chairman of BiH Presidency, Borislav Paravac, received a letter by Dragan Bozanic, in which Bozanic notes that he is giving up the appointment as the BiH’s ambassador to the Council of Europe. Bozanic notes that the appointment “caused unnecessary and very detrimental politicization” and considering everything, he is giving up the appointment to the said post. Paravac’s advisor for political system, Drago Vukovic, says a proposal of new candidate will most likely be made next week. |
| BiH Foreign Minister Ivanic notes long-term consequences to Bozanic’s non-appointment to CoE
| Sunday;s Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Case of Bozanic will have implications on other candidates as well’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘This case will have long-term consequences’, ONASA – BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic believes that non-appointment of Dragan Bozanic for the BiH ambassador to the Council of Europe will have long-term consequences. Ivanic told reporters that non-appointment of Bozanic has opened the issue which will have long-term implications related to chances of people and personnel who participated in the war for appointment to positions of ambassadors. He said that the BiH Presidency is expected to nominate a new candidate in the next ten days. Ivanic did not exclude new dismissals in the RS because of insufficient cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), but he said he does not know who could be dismissed. Asked whether a decision on the admission of BiH into the NATO’s Programme “Partnership for Peace” should be made by a referendum, he said it is too early to talk about a referendum, adding he believes that citizens would support it because BiH does not have an alternative. |
| NATO SG Scheffer: Cooperation btw NATO and BiH already good, cooperation with ICTY must improve
| Dnevni List, Sat, pg 3 ‘Scheffer: Cooperation between NATO and BiH is at already enviable level’, by NINA, Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat, pg 14 ‘Nothing will change’, by A. Macanovic – The NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, stated after a meeting with a delegation of the BiH Parliament in Brussels: “The cooperation between NATO and BiH is already at an enviable level and is already better than cooperation with some countries that are Partnership for Peace members. However, considering the great ambitions of BiH and its ultimate goal, the membership in the EU, the criteria for joining of your country to the Partnership for Peace are stricter”. SG Scheffer reiterated that despite the success achieved in the defence reform, the main reason why BiH did not join the PfP at the |
| BiH HoP Speaker Milojevic confirms poor cooperation with ICTY main barrier to full PfP membership
| Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Everything goes well except cooperation with ICTY’, FENA – The BiH Parliamentary Assembly delegation, which is paying a two-day visit to the NATO headquarters in Brussels, on Thursday held talks with numerous officials, including the NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. The BiH House of Peoples Chair, Goran Milojevic, told FENA that the aim of the visit is to get informed with the activities, plans and the role of NATO in light of the preparations for replacing the NATO forces within SFOR in BiH with the EU military forces, which should be carried out on December 2. We have been told, said Milojevic, that the same soldiers will practically remain in BiH, and that they will have the EU markings on uniforms instead of SFOR, and that there will be no American soldiers within these forces. Still, he added, Americans will maintain a certain form of presence in BiH, i.e. in |
| New EU Constitution adopted
| BHT, FTV on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 20, mentioned on cover ‘Europe ented a new era’, Dnevni Avaz pg 20, Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, cover ‘Europe got Constitution’ and pg. 2 ‘The first Constitution of EU was signed’ by Agencies, EuroBlic, Saturday, pgs. 6-7 ‘EU got Constitution’ not signed – Leaders of 25 EU countries signed the first Constitution of EU in |
| HR Ashdown denied Luka Karadzic’s claims
| Nacional Belgrade daily, Saturday, cover ‘Ashdown is lying’ and pg. 3 ‘Paddy Ashdown is lying!’ not signed – HR Paddy Ashdown on Friday denied claims of Luka Karadzic, who has stated that HR Paddy Ashdown had been on Radovan Karadzic’s payroll. Nacional claims it is in a possession of letters proving the opposite, i.e. proving there had been years long cooperation between Paddy Ashdown and Radovan Karadzic. It also claims there are documents proving Paddy Ashdown had received certain amount of money for plane tickets and raises a question “why would have Karadzic paid the money if Ashdown had not worked for him?”. |
Judiciary/legal proceedings | |
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| BHT, FTV on Saturday, Dnevni List, Sat, front pg splash and pg 2 ‘Trials to Covic and Bicakcic could start’, by M. Batarello, Vecernji List, Sat, pg 2 ‘Covic immunity stripped of’, by D. Jazvic, Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat, pg 12 ‘Charged officials devoid of immunity’, by Mario Ivkic, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Right to immunity denied for 14 officials’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Appeals by Jelavic, Prce, Bicakcic and the others rejected’ – The Constitutional Court of BiH, whilst ruling on the appeals that were submitted by several persons, who were appealing to decisions of various courts in BiH because the courts did not acknowledge the invoking of immunity, decided to reject the appeals as ungrounded. Among 15 politicians, who were invoking the immunity before BiH courts, are also the Croat member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, and former FBiH Prime Minister, Edhem Bicakcic. |
| VL:
| Vecernji List, Sun, pg 3 ‘BiH judges blackmailed – Judge Tadic targeted by Prosecutor Mattson’, mentioned on front ‘Judges blackmailed because of Dragan Covic, by Zoran Kresic – The article notes that it is being speculated that judges of the BiH Constitutional Court, especially the President of the said court, Mato Tadic, had been pressured by international administration and foreign prosecutors prior to taking the decision in the “abolishment of immunity” case, which related to, among others, Dragan Covic. VL claims to be in possession of a request by foreign prosecutor, Matts Mattson, from the Special Department for corruption and organized crime, in which Mattson requests the removal of Tadic and other judges, and in which he wants that Tadic and others do not decide on immunity of Dragan Covic, and in other two cases (appeals), because of suspicion that they (Tadic and others) received 200.000 KMs of bribe. Allegedly, Mattson stated that the Special Department for corruption and organized crime has opened an investigation against Tadic and others. This triggers the author to say it is significant that the Prosecution’s request came only seven days before the Constitutional Court’s decision on ‘immunity’ to Covic and others, which is labelled by VL as the most serious pressure on judges and their independence. Inset entitled ‘I am not worried by court’s decision’ by zok – carries Dragan Covic as saying that he is not worried by the Constitutional Court’s decision since he has been appearing before prosecutions and courts in an orderly manner in past three years. Noting that all the cases against him are politically motivated, Covic says he is convinced that he never broke any law. |
| RS police failed to arrest a war crime indictee in Foca
| TV Hayat, BHT, FTV, RTRS on Saturday, Vecernje Novosti, Sunday, pg. 3 ‘They were looking for Jankovic’ not signed,Dnevni List, Sun, pg 5 ‘Unsuccessful search after Jankovic’, mentioned on front, by N. Bise, Slobodna Dalmacija, Sun, back pg ‘RS Police searches after Goran Jankovic’, by H, Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Only documentation belonging to Gojko Jankovic found’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Another failed RS MoI action to arrest war criminals’ – RS Police action in Foca ended on Saturday without arrest of Gojko Jankovic, accused by the Hague Tribunal for crimes against humanity. Spokesperson of Istocno Sarajevo PSC Radovan Pejic has stated that RS MoI employees have searched several facilities but no person was arrested. Certain number of persons, however, was invited for an informative interview. |
| Women of Prijedor invite HR Ashdown to visit mass grave at Stari Kevljani near Kozarac | Dnevni List, Sun, pg 4 ‘Invitation to Ashdown to visit mass grave’, not signed – Association of women of Prijedor ‘Izvor’, which is based at Sanski Most, has invited the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, to visit the biggest mass grave detected so far at Stari Kevljani near Kozarac. The Association says HR Ashdown should be visiting Stari Kevljani mass grave on November 2, as a part of his visit to |
| VL: 1170 Islamists exported to
| Vecernji List, Sun, pg 4 ‘To Chechnya and Iraq via Zenica-Sarajevo connection’, mentioned on front, by Milo Jukic – VL learns from a senior intelligence officer, who wanted to stay anonymous, that a little mosque near the ‘Cobanija’ bridge in Sarajevo is the main recruitment centre for Islamic volunteers who want to go to wars in Chechnya and Iraq, whilst the training is being conducted in a village in the hills above Zenica. The same source says some 1170 volunteers went to |
Return of Refugees, DPs | |
| BiH Catholic Bishop’s Conference on return process in BiH
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHT, FTV on Friday, EuroBlic, Saturday, pg. RS7 ‘The authority is culpable of slow return of Croats’ by D. S., Glas Srpske, Saturday, pg. 3 ‘Poor return to Srpska’ by N. Z., Vecernji List, Sat, pg 3 ‘Authorities are making fun of victims of war’, by Dejan Jazvic, Dnevni List, Sat, pg 9 ‘Authorities did not do anything for return’, not signed, Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat, pg 12 ‘Stalling of agreement with Vatican on purpose’, by Zlatko Tulic – Bishops of Bosnia-Hercegovina on Friday [29 October] accused local authorities as well as international representatives in the country of failing to do anything to encourage the return of Catholic refugees to their pre-war homes and help those who have survived the war remain in their home towns. The Catholic bishops this week held a regular meeting in |
| Registration of refugees and DPs in RS
| Glas Srpske, Saturday, cover page story ‘Registration as of Monday’ by J. N. – the article reads all preparations for registration of refugees and DPs in RS, which will be launched on November 1, have been completed. The registration process will be conducted by the end of November by employees of RS Ministry for refugees and DPs. |